The Adrian College baseball team battled back to earn a doubleheader split with Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association rival Hope on Saturday at Nicolay Field, taking the driver’s seat in its pursuit of a sixth straight league title. Hope won the opener 2-1, before Adrian took the nightcap 4-3.

Adrian (16-6, 10-2 MIAA) took three of the four weekend games against Hope (12-10, 8-4) and opened up a two-game cushion in the league standings.

Hope and Adrian tied for the MIAA regular-season championship last year.

The Bulldogs managed only two hits in the first game, both by Ryan Dorow. Hope’s two unearned runs in the second inning would be all it needed.

Adrian starter Brent Greenwood allowed four hits, struck out five and walked one in six innings.

Hope jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings in the second game. Adrian scored two in the fifth inning to pull within one. Mitch Stefanski’s RBI double down the right-field line in the seventh tied it, and later in the frame, Drew Shutes hit an RBI single through the left side to plate the winning run.

Shutes finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Stefanski had a pair of doubles, an RBI and scored twice. Bulldogs starter Holden Branch (Onsted) yielded two earned runs on six hits, struck out four and walked none in seven innings.

Adrian will travel across town to face Siena Heights University on Wednesday.

SOFTBALL

Indiana Tech at Siena Heights: At Adrian, the Saints swept Indiana Tech in Saturday’s Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference doubleheader at Christensen Memorial Field. Katie O’Hotzke pitched a gem in Game 1, as the Saints won 3-0. The Siena Heights bats came alive in Game 2, finishing with 15 hits in a 13-8 win.

Siena Heights (13-7, 4-2 WHAC) sits third in the league standings, and the four conference wins is one away from last year’s total.

O’Hotzke threw a three-hit shutout in the first game with five strikeouts and four walks. Liz Polmanteer had two hits, while Megan Jones, Taylor Hayes and Kenya Keller each had an RBI.

Siena Heights led 8-7 entering the bottom of fifth in Game 2, before scoring two in the fifth and three in the sixth to pull way.

O’Hotzke went 3-for-4 with three doubles, three RBIs and two runs. Hayes batted 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs, while Mariah Boss also went 3-for-4 with four runs and two RBIs. Keller added two hits, two runs and two RBIs.

Morgan started in the pitching circle and allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits, struck out two and walked one in 4 1/3 innings. O’Hotzke relieved her and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter.

Adrian (4-5, 2-0 MIAA) trailed 3-1 early, but scored 14 of the game’s next 15 goals to take command. The Bulldogs led 10-4 at halftime.

Maddie Dugan added three assists and three goals for Adrian, while Brianna Plester tallied three goals and two assists. TaShina Salas added three goals, and Early also led the team with five groundballs. Goalkeeper Jul Tehovnik made seven saves.

Denison (11-0) scored the first eight goals, before Mitch Burgin got Adrian (6-6) on the scoreboard late in the first quarter. After the Bulldogs scored twice early in the second quarter, Denison scored seven straight goals to take a 15-3 lead after three.

Drake Dailey-Chwalibog led Adrian with three goals and one assist. Burgin had two goals, one assist and five groundballs. Goalkeeper Kevin Lerg made 18 saves.